Subscribers of digital services increasingly desire service of video in high definition. High definition video requires more bits than standard definition because 1) bits represent a pixel, 2) a digital picture represents a matrix of pixels and 3) a digital picture has more pixels in high definition than standard definition. In addition, 4) high definition video represents a stream of digital pictures and 5) a stream of digital pictures in high definition may, for example, comprise twice as many digital pictures, per second, than a stream of digital pictures in standard definition.
Digital service providers desire to service subscribers with high definition programming. Typically, digital service providers transmit according to established standards. However, established standards require increased memory power for processing the additional digital bits needed for high definition. For example, encoders at a local cable head-end, local IPTV head-end (Internet Protocol Television), any other local head-end, or somewhere upstream of any local head-end require substantial amounts of fast memory to encode HDTV for distribution to subscribers.
Typically, digital service providers transmit with increased memory power by using memory that is more expensive such as memory in FPGAs (field programmable gate arrays). Using memory that is more expensive however increases the cost of doing business, which may be passed on to subscribers. In addition, digital service providers compete on an economy of scale basis. Consequently, increasing memory power using memory that is more expensive impedes the growth of business and fails to meet the needs of more subscribers because, for example, fewer subscribers may be willing or able to afford high definition. Thus, digital service providers desire to increase the number of subscribers in total, for example, to minimize increased cost to each subscriber by distributing the increased cost among more subscribers.
Therefore, it would be beneficial to digital service providers to 1) service more subscribers 2) with high definition service 3) of additional channels 4) at a lower cost to each subscriber 5) by minimizing the use of memory that is more expensive in favor of an alternative.